Light assembly and lens with revolved collimator profile

Abstract

A light assembly includes a light source and a lens with a light-incident face defined by a central primary collector surface and secondary input surfaces extending transversely from the central primary collector surface, a light-emitting face opposite the light-incident face and defined by a central collimator profile and a pair of lateral side projections extending transversely from the central collimator profile, and a pair of secondary collecting surfaces extending between the light-incident face and the light-emitting face. Light from the light source received by the lens and exits as a generally collimated output.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lens comprising:
 a light-incident face for receiving light from a and defined by a collimator profile revolved about a transverse axis perpendicular to a central optical axis by a revolved angle, wherein the light-incident face defines a cavity having an opening configured to receive light from the light source, wherein the opening to the cavity is symmetric about the transverse axis and a lateral axis perpendicular to both the central optical axis and the transverse axis; 
 a light-emitting face opposite the light-incident face; and 
 a lens body defined between the light-incident faces and the light-emitting face, with the central optical axis extending in a forward direction through the light-incident face and the light-emitting face. 
 
     
     
       2. The lens of  claim 1 , wherein the collimator profile is revolved about the transverse axis in the range of 120-degrees to 180-degrees. 
     
     
       3. The lens of  claim 1 , the lens body having a pair of secondary collecting surfaces extending between the light-incident face and the light-emitting face, the pair of secondary collecting surfaces oriented to reflect light internal to the lens body in the forward direction. 
     
     
       4. The lens of  claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting face is defined by a central collimating surface protruding from upper and lower secondary output surfaces, the light-emitting face receives light internal to the lens body and refracts a light output pattern being generally collimated in the forward direction. 
     
     
       5. The lens of  claim 1 , wherein the light-incident face comprises:
 a primary collecting surface to collimate at least a portion of light received from the light source; and 
 lateral side projections defining secondary input surfaces, wherein light incident on the secondary input surfaces is refracted and then reflected in the lens body through total internal reflection. 
 
     
     
       6. The lens of  claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting face comprises:
 a central collimator surface formed by a curved protrusion having a curvature along the lateral axis perpendicular to both the central optical axis and the transverse axis, wherein the curved protrusion is generally constant along the transverse axis; and 
 upper and lower secondary output surfaces extend from upper and lower edges of the curved protrusion. 
 
     
     
       7. The lens of  claim 6 , wherein the upper and lower secondary output surfaces are generally planar. 
     
     
       8. A light assembly comprising:
 a light source; and 
 a lens body positioned adjacent the light source and having a light-incident face for receiving light emitted from the light source, the light-incident face defined by a collimator profile revolved by a revolved angle about a transverse axis perpendicular to a central optical axis, 
 wherein the light-incident face defines a cavity having an opening configured to receive light from the light source, wherein the opening to the cavity is symmetric about the transverse axis and a lateral axis perpendicular to both the central optical axis and the transverse axis. 
 
     
     
       9. The light assembly of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the collimator profile is revolved about the transverse axis by the revolved angle in the range of 120-degrees to 180-degrees. 
 
     
     
       10. The light assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the collimator profile is revolved about the transverse axis, wherein the revolved angle is in the range of 120-degrees to 180-degrees. 
     
     
       11. The light assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED) having a hemispherical light pattern with the radial distribution being generally 180-degrees, and wherein the collimator profile is revolved about the transverse axis a radial distance generally equal to the radial distribution of the LED. 
     
     
       12. The lens of  claim 1 , wherein the collimator profile is revolved about the transverse axis by the revolved angle in the range of 120-degrees to 180-degrees. 
     
     
       13. The light assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the lens body has a light-emitting face opposite the light-incident face such that the central optical axis extends in a forward direction through the light-incident face and the light-emitting face, wherein light incident on the light-incident face is directed at least partially to the light-emitting face by total internal reflection. 
     
     
       14. The light assembly of  claim 13 , the light-emitting face further having upper and lower secondary output surfaces and a central collimating surface protruding from and between the upper and lower secondary output surface, wherein an output pattern from the light-emitting face is generally collimated in the forward direction. 
     
     
       15. The light assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the light-emitting face includes a central collimating surface with a curved protrusion having a curvature in a direction away from the light source, wherein the curvature is generally constant in a transverse direction. 
     
     
       16. The light assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the light-incident face comprises a central primary collecting surface and lateral side surfaces extending transversely from the central primary collecting surface. 
     
     
       17. The light assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the central primary collecting surface is configured to collimate at least a portion of the incident light. 
     
     
       18. The light assembly of  claim 16 , wherein secondary input surfaces are defined by the lateral side surfaces, wherein light incident on the secondary input surfaces is refracted, then reflected into the lens body through total internal reflection.